Feminist icon Gloria Steinem today released a compilation of her insightful and thought-provoking writings here for the first time in India.
The book "The Essential Gloria Steinem Reader: As if Women Matter", contains an introduction by Ruchira Gupta, Founder President of Apne Aap Women Worldwide, an anti-sex trafficking NGO.
Published by Rupa Publications in English and Rajkamal publications in Hindi, the book includes a brand new essay on sex trafficking "The Third Way-An End of Trafficking and Prostitution: A Beginning of Mutual Sexuality" by Gloria.
"Gloria is an inspiration for not just women activists and feminists but every woman on the planet. For me she is my guru and working on her book was my way of thanking her for all she has taught me," Ruchira said.
The feminist activist also participated in a literary reading and talk with Ela Bhatt, founder of the Self-Employed Women's Association.
Gloria, who spent two early years in India, credits the country for helping her understand links between gender and race, caste and class, and between gender and violence.
The American writer and activist has spent decades of work with the feminist movement within US and other countries and has said it taught her that "violence and domination are normalised by the false division of human beings into subject and object, dominator and dominated, 'masculine' and 'feminine.'"
In the book Gloria addresses vital questions on removing- discrimination, inequality and marginalisation of women in society - through a broad feminist understanding and analysis which stretches beyond borders and across cultures.
The feminist is set to travel to various places in the country and participate in the upcoming Jaipur Literature Festival and the Kolkata Literary Meet as well as pay a visit to the women's college in Patna.
She had previously interacted with students at the Jawaharlal University here.
